For just $99 you can bring AR to the iPhone 7

There are almost limitless options for mobile virtual reality, many of which don’t require you to spend any money at all.

Augmented reality is a different story altogether though, with the most notable headset, Microsoft’s HoloLens costing developers $3,000.

However, with its Prism headset, start-up Mira is aiming to do for AR what Samsung’s Gear VR has done for its virtual counterpart.

The headset requires an iPhone 7 which, instead of facing towards the wearer, now faces forward and projects images onto a pair of lenses placed a few inches away from the eyes.

The result is a holographic image placed on top of the real world, examples of which you can see in the video below.

Those without a headset can use a companion app to see their friends’ VR experiences in real time.Related: What is HoloLens?

The developer kits are arriving this autumn with a full consumer versions estimated to land before the end of the year.

The Mira Prism arrives shortly after Apple announced its ARKit at WWDC 2017 last month. We’re expecting to see it start to come to fruition in iOS 11 and on the iPhone 8.

Does this sound like a good entry point into augmented reality experiences? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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